My Adventures in Surround Sound

[IDJIT DRAGON]

It's paradoxical, but the greatest weakness of Hi-Rez is also it's greatest strength - the lack of titles!!

While CD buyers can just buy the next album from their favourite artists, or cruise the top 40, the Hi-Rez lover needs to scour the internet to find discs worth purchasing.

Having a home theater setup I naturally gravitated to surround Hi-Rez and, in the early days would buy nothing else, but my love of Neil Young convinced me to buy a 2 CH DVD-A, On The Beach, and wow, what a sound!!

Still, the majority of my purchases have been surround sound and, in my quest for new material, I have been forced to listen both brand new artists and artists that I have previously dismissed as uncool, over-rated or boring. In the former group I have:

Texas
Cowboy Junkies
Keane
Snow Patrol
Eleanor McEvoy
Kane
Earth, Wind & Fire
Ryan Adams
Porcupine Tree
CCR
Beck
3 Doors Down
and many more

In the latter, I must apologise to the following:

Elton John
The Eagles
David Bowie
Bob Dylan
The Police

With Bjork, Talking Heads (CD/DVD-A), Switchfoot, the fabled Peter Gabriel 5.1 re-issues and Wish You Were Here in the offing for 2006 the future looks great for surround sound. I'm also testing non Hi-Rez surround, Bill Withers and Jean-MIchel Jarre's Aero

I'm now pushing 120 discs, probably 75% MCh, and I actually like the fact that the software is hard to find, it makes it more of a challenge@:

Cheers


Martin

 

[JonUrban]

Martin,

One of the things about being "surround sick" like many of us, is that we are forced to listen to "new" music, or music we would otherwise not listen to. As a result, we find stuff that we might never have listened to.

I know that I probably would never have heard artists like Beck, Flaming Lips, Porcupine Tree, Snow Patrol, 3 Doors Down, etc, if there were other surround titles to buy (and no informative posts proclaiming these artists virtues!)

 

[neil wilkes]

I agree whole heartedly.
When I still only listened in Stereo, my musical "taste" (or lack of it) was severely limited, and I would dismiss certain styles of music almost out of hand.
Then I got into modern 5.1, and inevitably drawn into Multichannel history, which led me here.
Since then, I have found that I will listen - or even buy - a disc purely because it is in multichannel rather than because I have heard of, or know, or think I like the artist in question.
Result?
A much wider collection, with new albums & music I would have previously ignored in my former, blinkered state.

Surround has opened things up for me in all manner of ways, and has changed the way I listen to music for good - and for the better too.

Long may this continue.

 

[MIDIQ]

I agree also, I have a lot of music in surround that i would not have bought in stereo, because of the lack of anything else in surround to buy. And most of the music i took a chance on i like a lot. And some of the new music i would have never even considered trying, i have bought other albums of theris in stereo {because they were not released in surround} and enjoyed them also. Great way to find new music, mostly thanks to the posts of the great folks here on this forum.:banana:

 

[Beer Monkey]

With Bjork, Talking Heads (CD/DVD-A), Switchfoot, the fabled Peter Gabriel 5.1 re-issues and Wish You Were Here in the offing for 2006 the future looks great for surround sound.

I'm somewhat optimistic regarding WYWH and the old Bjork albums in 5.1. I won't hold my breath on Peter Gabriel.

 

[BananaSlug]

I also agree. I also have many 5.1 discs that I don't listen to - but finding Porcupine Tree and fully discovering the greatness of the Talking Heads has made it all worth while. Though releases are becomming fewer and further between, it seems to me that the quality has improved. It seems that the people producing the 5.1 mixes have really figured it out, as it were. more more more!!!

I think many of us teeter between disillusionment and euphoria in our pursuit of 5.1 music, may 2006 be euphoric for all of us.

 

[Guy Robinson]

I just had a quick look through my collection and there are about 200 hi-rez discs that I have that I probably wouldn't have purchased if they hadn't have been in hi-rez. A lot of those are jazz and classical releases.

 

[The Quadfather]

I find this to be true also. Surround has opened up musical doors for me. This was true even in the quad days. However, the down side to that is that I have picked up some real stinkers as well. Can you say "Tantra Lounge"? Over all, it has been a good experience. It's also kinda fun to have something that no one else has that makes people say "WOW". However, I would still rather have universal availlability of artists I like.

The Quadfather

 

[Guy Robinson]

The one I can pick as a standout from last year that I wouldn't have normally purchased is LoveKraft by Super Furry Animals.

 

[kvsawilson]

I know what you're talking about. For me, finding bands like Porcupine Tree or RPWL that I doubt I'd have heard had they not had surround releases is great. Even going back and re-finding things like the Fagen albums or the old Elton discs that I hadn't heard in years is great. Of course, I'd rather have to make the choice on my next trip to the music store of whether to get the 5.1 Abbey Road, Physical Graffiti or Are You Experienced disc, but then again, I'd be broke.

But my question is: what Cowboy Junkies have you found in surround? I was never much of fan until I saw them live a few years ago and now I've bought quite a few of their albums and their one dvd, but it isn't in 5.1.

K

 

[IDJIT DRAGON]

But my question is: what Cowboy Junkies have you found in surround? I was never much of fan until I saw them live a few years ago and now I've bought quite a few of their albums and their one dvd, but it isn't in 5.1.

K

Sorry, I was mixing ideas here - I found The Cowboy Junkies when searching for Hi-Rez per se, not MCh Hi-Rez, Open is only 2CH

Oh, I also have to apologise to Steely Dan. I kept playing Gaucho and thinking that it was cold and sterile but I kept coming back for one more play for some reason and in the end grew to like it!! I haven't managed to drum up the same enthusiasm for the later Steely Dan or Donald Fagen Hi-Rez discs though

Cheers

Martin

 

[Felix E. Martinez]

One artist I'm very grateful to have been introduced to via hi-res surround is Willy Porter. If you like singing/ac guitar playing a la Stephen Stills and Michael Hedges, you will definitely want to check out Willy Porter. He is unbelievable. The title and link to my review of the sacd can be found in my list.

 

[The Quadfather]

I think if I had to pick just one great discovery from having to try things I would have not otherwise have tried if I wasn't into surround sound, it would have to be The Super Furry Animals "Love Kraft" Such a cheesy band name and title, and such great music! And it reminds me of 70's style hippie music, which I love, and it's very creative. This one grows on you, the more you listen.

The Quadfather